The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-02-04

L
grave of his predecessor, he poi2tet
out the plot of ground where he was e
rest himself; that he told me that tn,
church was many hundred years old
and had been, dams lie temps, the lodge
of a company of Knights Templar
whose bodies lay shrouded in stone
sepulchers in remote part of the Gem
etery. The church was very uninter
esting to me in my preoccupation
There were some fine Louis XI. candle
sticks in massive copper on one OF the
affairs. The Cure had bought them
from dealer in old metals, to whom
an ignorant colleague had sold them al
the rate of ninepence per pound.
Then you have some TASTE"
thought. "But that only makes it more
inexcusable.
Twas examining these candlesticks
when a peasant girl came up to us. and
with many clumsy curtesies told NJ. lie
Cure that his supper had been served.
She had motherly tone with the old
man. this girl of fifteen, and would
not hear of his showing me the vestry.
THAT will be for another day." she
said. 1.-The important thing now is that
NJ. lie Cure should not let that beautiful
trout get cold. One has opened a bottle
of Chablis to drink with it, and there
will be an omelette aux fines herbes and
some peaches in the second service"
"She seems a very intelligent child, "
I said. as accompanied the Cure to
his door. "Is she your servant?"
80, no." he answered, with smile.
''That would not be allowed. My serv-
ant is ill in bed, and this girl is taking
her place. But no, monsieur, lean not
let you 90 now. You must come in
and share my supper. Jeanette. lay
another cover"
II did that in advance" answered
the girl. when NJ. lie Cure has visit
OrS-"
..He insists on their becoming his
guests. You are right, and monsieur
sees it."
The trout. pc, fectly cooked. was firm
and sweet; the Chablis, cool and fra
grant, with a faint scent of violets,
cleaned like livid gold in my glass;
the table was exGuisitely laid; the sill
yer, the plate of peaches, the yellow
rose laid on the white cloth, were very
beautiful to the eye; the Cure, with hi,
melodious voice full of caressing notes,
charmed my ear, as his anecdotes and
wit delighted my mind. But all these
delights were powerless to distract my
attention from the annoyance had ex-
perienced. My calm was marred. !
barely listened to my host, yet gaze
him enough attention to regret my pre-
occupation. At another time his con-
versation would have charmed me, who
for now many months had heard only
the sordid bargainings of the Norman
peasants in their drawing and inhar-
monious patois. He had been speaking
about the Oxford revival, and had
quoted the Pope's remarks on the Pusey-
ties, that like bell-ringers they invited
the world to come into Holy Church,
but themselves did not enter it, when,
unable to contain myself any longer, I
rudely interrupted him, saying: 'But
why vulgarize her glorious passion?
Why make her sublime fear paltry and
ridiculous? One annoys the timidity Of
children with blood-stained rapisrs,
skulls, or chromos of 'Fox's Martyrs
They can not explain her terror. They
only insult her."
The Cure smiled, and seemed at once
to understand what it was was refer
ring to.
"Your are right, monsieur" he said,
sit is in bad taste. But it is Bette S
fault, not mine"
''Bette." he continued, sis my old
servant. the one who is lying i'll up
stairs. She has been most faithful and
devoted to me ever since she came to
this place, now twenty years ago. l
used to keep that rapier in my bed
room. but it was not long before she
found it out, and then she insisted on
hanging it where you saw it. The ar
rangement has always rather spoiled
my pleasure in the picture, and my rea-
son is the same as yours; but could
not find it in my heart to thwart the
good old woman's wish. She would
have it thus, and would take no contra
diction on this point
Il suppose" I rejoined. 1.-THE good
woman was vexed at the sight of the
girl frightened at nothing. The blood
stained sword would explain this fear
and make the tableau complete. 1t is
natural in peasant woman. But l
should have been better pleased with
Bette if she had completed it in an
other way. For instance. if she had
hung opposite those terrified eyes a
picture of Delacroix or another classic.
That would have explained, and charm
ingly, the horror of creation of
M-'s."
"You are severe on Delacroix."
laughed the Cure. "In my time he
was to us what MISSIONER is to you
to-day"
MAY l ask, MONSIEUR" said, ''if
there is any connection between the
picture and the weapon?"
"A terrible One," said the Cure.
His tone was SO sad and there was
such sorrowful expression on his face
as he answered me that regretted my
indiscretion and apologized to him
for it.
at is strange" he continued. after a
pause, ''that you should ask me this to-
day, for all this day my thoughts have
been going back to the most terrible
snano of ,,,.- I;fa Nar- not o.l. ,,,r,